The Banyan Tree - A WilSon Story
by ra1chan05
Summary: AU: 23-year-old Sonny Kiriakis goes to a rural place in India to attend a friend's wedding, and there, he meets Will Horton. This story is loosely based on a real-life incident. Cultural differences mentioned in this story are to be taken in a lighter vein. Disclaimer: I don't own Days of Our Lives and its characters. The rest of the characters are also fictional.
1. Chapter 1

**Dear readers, please review and let me know whether you want me to continue writing this story or not. I will go with the majority.**

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"Hey, look there!" Chad nudged Sonny, pointing to a stout caramel-skinned middle-aged man in a white uniform who was holding a placard bearing their names in big bold letters. "Welcome to India, Sir!" the man politely greeted the two smiling white men clad in knee-length shorts, t-shirt, and warm jacket carrying a backpack, and he introduced himself as Solomon, the driver. It was 6 in the morning and quite dark outside. The air, in this southern part of India, was cold enough for one to shiver, considering it was January, whereas it would be snowing in some parts of the world. As soon as they hopped into the wide black SUV, Sonny and Chad dozed off.

After what seemed be 2 hours, Sonny was woken up by the jerk of the vehicle, but Chad was unaffectedly snoring. "Sir, city limit is over. From here sometimes road is not proper. Sorry for the trouble" Solomon said in his own Indian English, grinning at the reflected image of Sonny on the mirror. "Oh thank you for the information, Solomon! And, please call me Sonny, not 'sir', ok?" Sonny waved his hand. Solomon gave a thumbs-up. Sonny looked through the closed window. Now the sun was shining brightly. "So, 2 more hours to go?" Sonny showed the V sign. "Yes. Priya madam told to take rest at Venus Hotel. It is just half an hour" Solomon said. "Oh good! I badly need some caffeine" "What, Mr Sonny?" "I meant coffee" Sonny corrected.

Going by the hoardings and name boards on the sideways, Sonny understood that chemical and hardware industries constituted most of the business in those areas. That specific path was so rugged that the jeep was having a bumpy ride. "What the fuck!" Chad was annoyed that his sleep was disturbed. Sonny hit Chad's leg to warn him not to use bad words. He informed him that it's going to be one roller-coaster ride to their destination. Chad sighed but he managed to smile broadly at Solomon, who was keenly observing his body language through the mirror.

The jeep came to a halt in front of a small motel called Venus Inn, the only one on the highway. There were a few people inside, mostly men. A lean young boy with well-oiled hair walked to their table. He smiled at Solomon and greeted him in the local language. Probably the two knew each other Sonny thought. "I will have plain black coffee" Sonny said looking at the boy. The boy quickly nodded his head affirmatively. "One cappuccino, please" Chad said. The boy gave a confused look at him and murmured something to Solomon. "Mr Chad, sorry. It is not available here. Only tea, coffee, and fruit juice" Solomon grinned sheepishly. "Oh ok. Black coffee will do." "Where is the restroom?" Chad asked. The boy pointed to a door that read 'Wash Room.' "Jesus! I swear I wouldn't have gone in had I known that one has to squat and not sit!" Chad sighed as he came out. "Oh it's the typical Indian toilet. Don't you know?" Sonny chuckled as he adjusted his hair looking at the rectangular mirror mounted on the wall. "You are ok?" Solomon became concerned looking at Chad's flushed face. "I'm good, Solomon" Chad winked. The boy returned with a big tray containing a small kettle, a cup of sugar, empty cups, saucers, and spoons all made of bone china, and some biscuits and sponge cakes.

"Now, what is that!?" Chad exclaimed. He was pointing at small two-wooden-wheeled vehicles pulled by a pair of oxen, moving in a straight line; the vehicles carried giant heaps of hay, and men in traditional clothing and turban were controlling the animals. "Oh these are bullock carts, the oldest mode of transport for Indian people. Of course, they are eco-friendly." Sonny sounded like a tourist guide. Sonny smiled as he looked at the morning scenery of the countryside: men working in the vast patches of green and yellow paddy fields; white herons and other water birds walking and flying in groups; women and young girls in ethnic wear carrying on their hips and head, mud pots filled with water fetched from the nearby river; children in blue-and-white school uniforms riding bicycles. There were a few small temples of worship and a mosque. The jeep jolted as it crossed several potholes on muddy roads. "Oh man, Sonny! It's one hell of a ride. Why drag us all the way from Yorkshire?" Chad's upper body danced to and fro. "Well, can't help it. It's Priya's ailing grandmother's wish to have the wedding at their ancestral home. Anyway, I find it adventurous!" Sonny shrugged. "Oh Bear Grylls Junior! How did I forget your recent wild African safari?" Chad rolled his eyes.

When the jeep neared the village entrance, Chad and Sonny saw a white man, a Christian priest, standing beside a car and chatting with a few Indian men in formal western attire holding some official papers and folder. Solomon immediately got down and greeted the priest. Sonny and Chad alighted and walked toward them. "Hello, I'm Father Eric Brady!" the priest smiled and shook hands with the two young men, who introduced themselves. "Nice to see some of my fellow Americans in this part of the world! My nephew will be glad to meet you guys." The priest waved them goodbye and got into the car. "Buddy, did Father Hottie just mention about his nephew here?" Sonny said as he got into the jeep. "Yeah. Probably a 10-year-old. He will be of great company. What you say?" Chad grinned. "What can I say…our country kids are something!" Sonny laughed.

"Is that an effing Lamborghini? Man, they could have airlifted us!" Chad's eyes widened at the sight of the expensive car displayed in front of the palatial ancestral house of their friend and the bride, Priya Sharma. The women of the Sharma family in colorful sarees welcomed Sonny and Chad by placing garlands made of marigold flowers around their neck. Priya was excited to see her college mates and took them to the well-furnished cozy guest rooms. Once they got freshened up, they were taken to the dining area. Chad was quite relieved to see his favorite food, burgers and fries, even though there were a wide range of Intercontinental dishes. With their stomach full, Sonny and Chad retired to their respective rooms for a good sleep. Sonny couldn't believe himself that he slept for more than 7 hours. He pushed the window screen aside and opened the doors. It was actually dark and cold, but there was enough light coming from strings of flashy bulbs decorating the entire sprawling house. Since his room was situated on the third floor, he could get a decent view of the surrounding area. There he spotted something like a vast greenish canopy. "So… this must be the giant banyan tree that Priya once raved about. Got to go there first thing in the morning" Sonny murmured curiously.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the great reviews and support! I'm continuing this story:) Please review!**

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"Did you guys sleep well?" smiled a slightly plump lady in a bright-red three-piece suit called _salwar kameez_, as Chad and Sonny got up from the coffee table; her hip-length jet-black hair was neatly plaited, and the round _bindi_ on her forehead, the gloss on her lips, and a dozen bangles adorning each of her hands all shouted RED. She introduced herself as Rita, paternal aunt of the bride and the manager of that house. "Yes, ma'am" said the guys in unison. "Oh just call me aunty!" Rita stylishly waved her hand and gracefully sat on the chair, tossing her long hair to the front, like a Bollywood movie heroine. "Well, that's how you call all women around my age, and the older ones as grandma…and now you know how to address the men. So…no first name and no surname when it comes to the elders here" Rita grinned widely. "Thanks for enlightening us, aunty" Sonny smiled warmly while Chad's smile wore the what-the-fuck expression. When Sonny told Rita that he and Chad are going out for a walk, she said "Yeah, that's a nice way to breathe in some fresh air. You can go around the rice and sugarcane fields and the vegetable patches. But watch out for the water snakes! Ok?"

"Man, Sonny, I have met many Indians abroad. But the ones here are quite weird!" Chad said walking carefully behind Sonny on the narrow clayey separation between two patches of the sugarcane field; water from the nearby well was flowing along the indentation on either side toward the fields. "Well, that's an irony. I won't be surprised if they call me a weirdo… blame it on the culture, man!" Sonny said. "Behold her, single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass!" Chad said in a sing-song voice when he spotted at a young lone girl in a long skirt and matching top plucking ripe tomatoes and placing them in a bamboo basket. "Beware Chadsworth! Her bare-chested farmer-dad is frowning at you right there. So, let's get outta here" Sonny murmured glancing at the tall guy.

"Wow!" Sonny exclaimed as they neared the vast green canopy that spread over several acres of land. There were countless columns of giant thick woody trunks with large, leathery green leaves. And, hairy branches were hanging down sweeping the ground. The strangling growth of the banyan tree gave out an eerie look, which could easily scare little children away.

"Hey, is it just me or am I seeing creamy white legs swinging in the air!?" Chad said as they ventured into the small jungle. Their movement halted when they saw a young white guy with dirty-blond hair wearing red shorts and light blue shirt. He was sitting on a wooden swing tied through thick nylon ropes to one of the trunks, and he was reading some book. "Hi there!" Sonny said. He gulped when a pair of sparkling deep blue eyes met him. The guy immediately got down from the swing and smiled gently. "Sorry, did we disturb you?" Chad smiled sheepishly. "Oh no. Not at all! I was just whiling away my time" The blond glanced at both the men and with a radiant grin, stretched his hand toward Sonny "I'm Will Horton!" Sonny felt goose bumps upon the warm touch of Will's hand.

"What? Don't tell me you guys belong to the famous Kiriakis family and DiMera family in Salem!" Will's eyes widened when he heard their names. "Yes, we do...Oh! You just said 'Horton'… as in 'Horton Town Square'?" Chad asked curiously. "Well, yeah…My great-grandpa built it. But, that's history. We no longer own it!" Will waved his hands like a 5-year-old kid, which softened Sonny's eyes. "Oh my god! So, we Salem guys are all destined to meet here!" Sonny chuckled, clasping his hands, looking at Will. Well, he was actually flirting with the gorgeous blond standing in front of him.

Sonny and Chad took turns to explain as to what brought them to this rural part of India. "Well, I'm on vacation…My uncle Eric is a missionary stationed here" Will said. "Ok! So, you are that nephew Father Eric talked about? Actually, we met him yesterday…I can see that…crystal blue eyes and dimpled chin and all…" Sonny grinned ear to ear. Will blushed, though he was a bit shocked by Sonny's boldness.

"Man, I've never seen something like this before!" Chad said looking around, swaying his body. "Well, banyan is a native to South Asia and India's national tree. It's like the fig in our place. But this is a massive one. About 200 years old, over 30 m high, covering 2 hectares…and what look like trunks are actually aerial roots of the tree!" Will sounded like a botanist. Chad nodded his head while Sonny was all deaf ears because he was lost in those strawberry lips.

"From Salem to Yorkshire… a major in business management…hmm that's interesting!" Will said after hearing how Chad and Sonny met. "Well, a computer nerd and social worker who loves arts and history and nature is no less interesting!" Sonny arched his eyebrows. Will bit his lower lip and smiled. Sonny was a goner. Chad's eyes shuttled between Sonny and Will, noticing the mutual flirting.

Since they were feeling thirsty, Will took them to a nearby watershed in the middle of a bright-yellow sunflower field. The men drank the pristine pure water gushing out of the long pipe connected to a rectangular water reservoir. "Ouch!" Will stumbled as his foot got stuck in the marshy area. "Hey, careful!" Sonny immediately caught hold of his waist. Will placed his own hand on Sonny's and stared at his deep brown eyes and whispered shyly "thank you."

"So, you guys missing your girlfriends already?...Oops! Sorry. That's none of my biz" Will said, holding his book, standing beside his bicycle. "Oh that's ok, Will. Anyway, we both are technically single right now. The only difference is that Sonny plays for the other team" Chad winked at Sonny. Before Sonny could react, Will jumped in "Oh, that's something we both have in common!" Sonny's eye widened "Oh yeah?" and he laughed hysterically letting out a great sigh of relief. There you go Chad thought. "But, apart from my uncle, nobody here knows that. Well, it's better these people don't get know. Not that all of them are ignorant and homophobic, but it's kind of an unspoken issue here" Will wiggled his eyebrows at Sonny.

"I should get going now. There is this construction work going on for the missionary school… Since you guys already know my uncle, he will be glad to have you as visitors to his cottage. It's near the basilica. Also, it houses a good collection of vintage wine. But I'm not 21 yet" Will chuckled. "Well, vintage wine sounds great!" Chad grinned. "Can I get your number, please?" Sonny took out his cell. Will obliged and asked Sonny to give him a ring. He immediately stored Sonny's number in his cell and waved them goodbye.

"So…what was that?" Chad pushed the buttons, as they walked toward the wedding house. "You mean Will Horton? God, the guy is so cute and hot! And, I like his soft, kind nature. But, what are the chances, even if there seems to be a mutual attraction? He will go back to Salem once his vacation is over, and I have already planned a business venture with you in Yorkshire" Sonny shrugged his shoulders keeping his gaze down. While his legs peddled the bicycle, Will's brilliant mind was clouded by the image of Sonny's piercing big brown eyes. His ears could still hear Sonny's soothing voice. Though his fingers gripped the handlebars, they itched, wanting to run through Sonny' s dense lustrous dark hair. "Oh gosh, Sonny, you are so handsome and nice! I wonder who is that lucky guy…" Will sighed.

(to be continued...)


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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"Wow! A cute, smart blond from your native right here! And, he is of your type! Sonny, this is, indeed, a rarity" Priya said walking with Sonny around the flower garden in the backyard. "Yeah but that doesn't mean I'm on my way to have a candy floss love story with him. I dare not try…considering the wrong time and place" Sonny said. "hmm…let's see. Nothing is in your hands. Everything's been decided by him" Priya pointed to the sky. "You know what? Even though public display of affection between a straight couple is not a welcome thing in this country, two men or women can lovingly hold hands in public. Most of the people will just think how good friends they are. The word 'gay' won't even cross their mind. Isn't that funny?" Priya chuckled. "ha ha ha… not so funny" Sonny rolled his eyes.

Chad played a game of cards with two of Priya's cousins who he already knew in Yorkshire and Rita aunty. Needless to say, with many women surrounding them, Chad was more than his usual self, flexing his well-built arms, running his fingers through his fabulous dark hair, distracting the other players' attention by cracking jokes. One of the women said something in the local language, which elicited giggle among the others. Rita looked at Chad's clueless face and said "This aunty is saying that her daughter is of marriageable age but she is very tall and they are unable to find a suitable boy. Maybe if you are interested…" "Well…I'm flattered. If she is blonde then I'm all for an arranged marriage" Chad smiled at the concerned lady, who then of course heard the translated version from Rita and smirked at him.

Priya and her cousins took Chad and Sonny to the farmer's market that happened twice a month in their village. All sorts of commodities and artistry works from the neighboring villages were sold. Children swarmed around the vendors selling wooden toys and paper kites; girls and women bargained with the gypsies and tribals from the nearby hilly areas for their colorful accessories like necklaces and ear rings made of ceramic beads and terracotta. Chad and Sonny bought lots of them for the women in their respective family, after hearing that the same were sold for double or triple the price in the big showrooms in the city.

As he was biting a grilled corn, Sonny felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! I didn't expect to see you this soon" Sonny eyes sparkled looking at Will's cherubic face. "Oh yeah, we met like what…6 hours ago? This is my second visit to this event, and I like the hand-spun cotton shirts sold here. These are comfortable in this tropical climate" Will grinned, waving the two newly-bought gray and white shirts. Sonny was mesmerized by the beautiful set of teeth shining in the evening sunlight and the tiny beads of sweat visible on Will's upper lip. "W-wow, that's cool. I guess I should get some" Sonny smiled licking his lips. "Hey Will, meet our friends" Chad said. After a brief introduction, Chad and the rest went their separate way leaving Sonny and Will.

"How far has the construction work for the missionary school gone?" Sonny asked. "Well, painting work is going on. The most annoying thing is that the local government officials are insisting the entire building be painted yellow, because it's the norm or something. Yuck, I hate that color! My choice is a combination of maroon and white" Will wrinkled his nose. "Can't wait to see it myself" Sonny chuckled. "Are you feeling comfortable in that house?" Will asked. "Yeah, we are taken care of very well by the family. So, no complaints" Sonny waved his hand.

"So, how long you have been here?" Sonny asked. "I arrived here about 20 days ago…planning to stay for 10 more…my cousin is arriving tomorrow. After that, I will leave with her for Delhi, India's capital, to see some of the historic places and the famous Taj Mahal, the monument of love" Will said. Love…love…love was ringing in Sonny's ear, but he immediately shook his head "Oh…so everything's well-planned, huh?"

"Will, though it has not even been a day, I find this characteristic of yours interesting and sweet…can I mention that?" Sonny pursed his lips. "mhmm? Sure, since you find it chweeet" Will did a cute expression. "Now that's adorable. Ok. When asked something, you tend to give quite a lot of information than is required" Sonny smiled. "Um…that's who I am. And, you are a smart ass" Will raised his eyebrow. "Really? Why do say that?" Sonny walked backward in front of Will. "Because, you give a compliment, or rather a backhanded compliment, first and then say something that I might not like to hear about myself" Will narrowed his gaze. Sonny stood still thinking that he had hurt Will and worriedly fluttered his long eyelashes. That's so beautiful Will thought... Will stared at Sonny seriously and then burst into laughter "I'm sorry, Will" Sonny said softly. "Hey, just kidding, man!" Will patted on Sonny's shoulder.

"So, what's your plan after this wedding thing?" Will asked as he kicked a pebble on the way. "Well, the wedding will be over in 6 days. Though I would like to see different places in this country, my buddy, Chad, seems quite disinterested…he likes to go to cozy places like Singapore, Thailand…" Sonny walked keeping his gaze down, though Will tried looking at his face. There was silence for some time. But, Will broke it "Well, I told uncle Eric about meeting you guys. He felt sorry that he was on his way to attend some urgent matter that he couldn't talk to both of you properly." "That's fine. Chad and I have planned to visit the basilica this Sunday" Sonny ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Ok. I will inform my uncle and make arrangement for dinner at the cottage. Also, my cousin is a great cook!" Will said swiftly.

So, you never stayed in Salem for a long time?" Will asked curiously. Actually, he was so greedy to know about Sonny's entire history. "Well, I was born there and stayed there till I was 8. Then, I was sent to a boarding school in Scotland, where three of my elder brothers studied. After finishing school, I traveled all over South America for a year. Since, I am quite attached to my eldest brother, Alex, I moved in with his family in Yorkshire and joined college" Sonny said. "Then, I guess my life might sound boring to you. I never stepped out of Salem for 19 long years, except for the annual visits to the other states in the US. Only last year, I made my first international visit, to uncle Eric's in the Philippines" Will smiled sheepishly.

Two hours just flew by. "It's getting dark… and cold" Will rubbed both his arms. "Yeah…shall I walk you till your cottage?" Sonny offered. "Thanks, but it's quite close to this place. I guess you have to walk a mile…I will be joining the yoga session tomorrow morning at 7.30 at the meadow near the banyan tree" Will swayed his body. "Great! I was told that there is a ritual starting early morning at the wedding house. I am going to write an article on the grand Hindu wedding" Sonny rubbed his chin. "Wow, that interesting!" Will said. Sonny told Will that he will give him a call the next day. "Well, then, good night and sweet dreams!" Will smiled and started walking in the opposite direction. "Sweet dreams…to me…about you" Sonny sighed looking at the walking beauty.

(to be continued...)


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for reading! Your reviews mean a lot to me! Note: The words in italics and bold constitute Sonny's thoughts**

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"Guys, the week-long wedding rituals start tomorrow morning…it's going to sap all my energy…I just wish Rajesh sneaks into my room tonight and ties the sacred thread around my neck" Priya sighed looking at Chad and Sonny, in the dining hall. "Well, young lady, you can't escape all that. I understand you have been slimming down to look glamorous in that two-piece swimsuit on your honeymoon. But try to eat properly so that you save some energy for your first night!" Rita aunty said boldly, and the others present there laughed out loud. Priya's parents, who were busy running around making arrangements, showed up and apologized to Sonny and Chad that they couldn't take personal care of them, but the guys made them at ease saying that they were already feeling at home.

After dinner, Sonny and Chad were relaxing in Chad's room. "Two hours doing nothing but talking? Sonny, that's not so you!" Chad said, holding a glossy magazine. "What did you expect, snogging? Yes, I'm not a 'talker' but… I don't know…it was all about the basic stuff like growing up…but it very interesting…maybe it's the way he engages with you. Also, I feel he is a very genuine person" Sonny raved about Will, having known him only for a day. "Okay…so where is this heading to?" Chad flipped through the pages. "Told you already! This is not going anywhere, despite the hotness and flirting. It's all about having a good company and cherishing the happy moments, without going overboard, until it's time for your next destination" Sonny got up from the sofa and went into his room for a good night sleep.

Not a morning person himself, Will couldn't believe he had woken up much early at 6. He looked at his mobile alarm, which was set to snooze at 7, because it wouldn't take him more than half hour to get ready for the yoga session. His body was chill and restless. He remembered tossing a lot in bed, unusually, the previous night. He switched on the TV to watch the cartoon channel. His favorite characters Tom and Jerry were chased by Spike, the bulldog. Will couldn't understand why they didn't make him laugh, as they normally did, and why he could see Sonny smiling inside that idiot box… Anyway, he went to the adjacent room and started cleaning it for his cousin, Abigail, who would be arriving by afternoon.

Will, in PJs and holding a thin floor mattress, opened the big iron gate to the cottage and took his bicycle out. He was annoyed by the sight of a very pretty young girl in floral frock with two-plait hairstyle approaching him. She was the 16-year-old daughter of a missionary worker. She had been stalking Will since his arrival and once stealthily clicked a picture of him with her mobile phone. Will was politely ignoring her. She smiled coyly and holding a piece of paper toward Will. "Ugh! What is this, Stella? A love letter? It wouldn't take me a second to complain about your behavior to your mother. The reason why I am not doing it because Father Eric has high regards for her. Hope you don't taint her image. Be a good girl and study for your boards" Will smilingly warned her and stared coldly at her friend standing at a distance. As the girl stared, with tears in her eyes, at him cycling toward the end of the street, her friend pulled her hand and said in their mother tongue "Stupid girl, l told you that he might like only girls of his tribe." As he crossed the street, Will murmured to himself "God, save the poor gays of this country…"

Tall green banana plants with big clusters of bananas were erected on either side of the main entrance of the wedding house; strings of freshly plucked mango leaves and white and yellow flowers garlanded all the doors. The groom and his family had arrived. Sonny, wearing a crisp white shirt and beige cotton pants, was standing barefoot, watching the "proposal" ceremony. He took photos and notes of the step-by-step procedure and the things that were used, with the help of Priya's cousin. Chad remained confined to his room. It was a bad day for him. The spicy pickles that he had had the previous night, in spite of being warned, upset his stomach. Considering as a cure, he was affectionately forced to drink the bitterest herbal tea brewed under the guidance of Priya's grandmother. The ritual got over by early afternoon. By evening, Chad had gotten better. The youngsters of the Sharma family staged a skit on the breezy love story between Priya and Rajesh, with popular movie songs. Once the party got over, Sonny went to his room and documented everything in his notebook PC.

That night, lying in his bed, Sonny suddenly realized that he had promised to call Will. He looked at the wall clock…10 minutes left for it to strike 12. _**He must be asleep by now…not the right time to call. But, that will be bad on my part. Ok, I will cut the call after two rings and send him a sorry message.**_ Sonny immediately dialed Will's number. Will attended the call after just one ring.

_**That's so quick!**_

Will: Hi Sonny!

_**Oh god, his voice sounds sweeter over phone!**_

Sonny: Hi Will, um, sorry if I disturbed your sleep

Will: Oh no. In fact, I was chatting with Abigail, my cousin

Sonny: Oh she is finally here? Say hi to her on my behalf

Will: Sure. I was just talking to her about you…and Chad. How was your day?

Sonny sure noticed the short pause.

Sonny: Well, the pre-wedding rituals went on till evening. Chad had an upset stomach this morning. But now he is fine…What about you?

Will: Oh poor Chad… Well, it started with a love letter from a girl here, then yoga, and then laundry, and then fence painting, and then, endless chatting with Abigail

Will giggled.

Sonny chuckled and said "oh you already have a local admirer, that too a girl!

Will: She's been stalking me for a while…Today, I sort of put her in her place.

Sonny: I pity that girl…is she pretty?

Will: Very

Sonny: Ok…what if she were a handsome guy?

Will was taken aback, while Sonny immediately felt that was quite inappropriate to ask.

Sonny: I'm sorry, Will. I…

Will: Hey hey! That's ok. In fact, that's an interesting question!

Sonny: Yeah?

Will: mhmm…Do you wanna know my answer?

_**What have I gotten into?**_

Sonny: Sh..sure, Will

Will: Well…he shouldn't be just another handsome guy. He should have piercing eyes that exude confidence…at that same time they should soften my heart.

_**I did receive such a compliment from many a people before **_

Sonny: Ok…

Will: His smile…it should be like 'Don't worry, I'm always there for you' kinda smile

_**Wait…this is EXACTLY what Priya wrote in my birthday card recently! **_

Sonny: Ok…

Will: His voice…not so sweet but not too rough…it should have a soothing effect on me

_**Where have I heard this before?...**_

Sonny: That's interesting!

Will: His…Hey Sonny, please hold on!

Sonny: Yup

_**La la la la la…oh shit! Yes! Dave, my ex, once mentioned that about my voice! Oh I am going crazy right now**_

Will: Sorry Sonny, my aunt Jen is waiting over the other phone…

Sonny: Hey that's fine. Go talk to her. Text me or call me tomorrow, when you are free. Ok? Good night!

Will: Good night, Sonny!

_**Was that all he just mentioned about me? No. No way! I'm overthinking… Well, should I call this adorable creature weird or mysterious?... Ok. Kiriakis, just relax…only 5 more days and then, Will Horton will become the cloud that passed by. Now go to bed. **_

(to be continued…)


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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That night, Sonny played video games on his computer until his eyes wore out. The bitter memory of his ex and only serious boyfriend in the past, Dave Harrison, surfaced after a long time. Both were 19 when they met at a mutual friend's party in Yorkshire. Dave was Sonny's college mate; he was studying for a major in Fine Arts, a great fan of Frank Sinatra, and a part-time crooner at a night club. Sonny could hardly sing and felt bad that he was unable to entertain Dave. But, Dave brushed it off by saying that Sonny's voice had a soothing effect on him. Sonny was unaware that, 8 months into their relationship, his then boyfriend began harboring deep feelings for his 44-year-old professor, Mitchell, a charismatic closeted bachelor. Dave got into a depression after Mitchell, who couldn't fight his own feelings for Dave, resigned and left the town for some unknown destination. When things came to light, Dave apologized to Sonny, eventually leading to a breakup. As they say, _what doesn't kill you makes you stronger_, Sonny had gotten stronger and also, a bit selfish…other than casual hook-ups, he prepared himself to have no hard feelings for anyone however attractive or nice they were. His main focus was on studying and traveling, a lot.

"I felt bad that mom interrupted your interesting conversation with that hunk" Abigail said, lazily walking with her cousin, Will, toward the banyan tree. Abi had worn a capris and a long embroidered cotton top that Will bought for her from the farmer's market. Even before her arrival, Will had warned her that wearing clothes like strapless or spaghetti tops and short dresses was quite risky for girls and women in public places in this country. "Hey Abi, that's ok. Also, it's been a while since I spoke to aunt Jen. But, I wonder whether that handsome nut-job realized that all I said over phone was about him…because for every detail I mentioned, his response was only an 'ok' in slow motion" Will chuckled. "Will, I get the point that he swept your feet off the ground on day one. Even if he feels the same way about you, I don't know where this will lead to, since you mentioned that he and his friend would be leaving the country after a week. Will's face fell. "I know, it's hard. But the whole of yesterday I was restless because I didn't get to see him…only after hearing his voice last night I sort of calmed down….like, it never happened to me before…god, what's happening to me!?" Will let out a loud breath, while Abi thought about a little plan of her own.

It was 10.30 in the morning when Sonny was woken up by the loud sounds of conch, bells, and drums in the wedding house as there was a prayer going on downstairs. Chad had left two messages for him. The first one was at 9: *_Morning, buddy! It's time for a jog!_* The next one, an hour later: *_OMFG! What a beauty! Abigail, Will's cousin_* Having realized that Chad had met Will and his cousin, Sonny texted Chad, wanting to know where was he now. Pronto came the reply: *_At the temple next to the banyan_* Sonny got ready and had a quick breakfast. Rita aunty stuffed a home-made sweet into Sonny's mouth, which he found very delicious and requested her to pack more of them when he finally leaves town. He went downstairs and greeted some of the folks before heading out.

Though the walking distance between the house and the banyan was about 15 minutes, Sonny's sneakers-covered feet took rapid steps and reached the destination in half the time. A stone's throw away from the banyan, he saw Chad, Will, and a blonde girl sitting on the lower rugged steps of the thousand-year-old temple of goddess _Durga_.

The moment Will's eyes spotted Sonny, he stood up anxiously, smiling. Sonny's brilliant plan of not getting closer to Will collapsed like a pyramid of cards as he felt an urge to hug the cutie. And, he just did that. Will closed his eyes and pressed his palms on Sonny's back such that he could hear Sonny's heartbeat. That moment, Sonny felt like he was in a trance state. Chad's eyes widened, while Abi lovingly looked at the pair. Sonny regained his foothold and released himself from the warm embrace.

"Is this the one you bought that day?" Sonny enquired about the gray shirt that Will was wearing. "Exactly! Do I look ok in it?" Will flashed his pearly whites. "Fantastic! By now, you could have been mobbed by a pack of hungry wolves if you were there at the gay club downtown Yorkshire" Sonny chuckled. "Thanks! I like your maroon t-shirt! I mean, dark colors look good on you…" Will's eyes quickly roamed all over Sonny's muscular upper torso. "Ahem. Will I ever get an introduction?" Abi smirked at Will. "Oh sorry. Sonny, meet my cousin, Abigail" Will said with a sheepish grin. Sonny and Abi shook hands.

Abi praised Chad's sense of humor, which made the tall dude shy. Will informed Sonny that he planned to call him sometime in the afternoon, but didn't expect to meet up with Chad, who in the meantime seemed to have eyes only for pretty Abi. The petite blonde made a 360-degree turn and said "I like the serenity and vibrant colors of this place! Chad, shall we both just go roam around?" Abi said softly. Chad melted and immediately showed her the way.

After watching Abi and Chad disappear from the scene, Will and Sonny turned to look at each other. "You look a bit jaded…" Will gave a concerned look. "Maybe because of too much wine…" Sonny gently smiled. "Well…too much of anything is not good" Will smilingly searched Sonny's eyes for the real reason. Sonny became conscious of it and diverted his gaze toward the temple. "Ah…had to shake something off my mind…" Sonny said as he took his shoes off and climbed up the steps of the conical temple carved out of a single massive rock. Will followed suit, thinking that it's not good to poke his nose into Sonny's personal matters.

Having seen Will quite a few times there, the lanky temple priest smiled at him. Sonny admired Will's innocence and broadmindedness as he saw Will bow in front of the sanctum sanctorum of the goddess and insert a five-rupee nickel into the slot of a cylindrical iron box meant for offerings from visitors. Both rested their butt on a high-rise platform along the temple corridor and silently watched the devotees and the greenish-brown mountains in the backdrop in tranquility amidst the cool mid-morning breeze and the faintly audible devotional music played in the temple.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew in the opposite direction. Will hissed and rubbed his right eye. "What happened, Will?" Sonny became worried and placed his hand on the back of Will's head. "I think some dust particle got stuck into my eye" Will said, still rubbing his eye. Sonny carefully placed a finger on Will's rosy cheek and stretched Will's eyelid with another finger and blew warm air. Will immediately shut his eyes and opened them to stare at Sonny's deep brown ones. His vision was clear now. "Is it better?" Sonny whispered. With the feeling of being engulfed by Sonny's piercing gaze and perfectly arched strong eyebrows, Will gulped and whispered in a low voice filled with air "Yes...I'm fine... thank you."

(to be continued...)


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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With their faces a few inches apart, Sonny eye's hovered all over Will's face, his lips slightly trembled, and his nose twitched. Will's eyes followed Sonny's and his breath hitched. The brunette suddenly stood up and offered his hand to Will. "Come on, let's get down and go wash your face at the nearby shed." Looking at Sonny, without saying a word, Will placed his hand on Sonny's and got up. The hand holding continued until they descended the last step of the temple.

"Raju!" Sonny called out, on the way, and waved his hand at the lean young man working in the field. The man widely grinned at him and waved back. "He is a helper" Sonny smiled looking at Will. Sonny plucked some ripe guavas from one of the trees belonging to the Sharma family. Once they reached the water shed, Will splashed cool water on his face and drank some. "No thanks. It's sunny, anyway" Will said when Sonny offered his own handkerchief to Will to dry his face off. Sonny too drenched his face and neck. He rinsed the fruits and offered some to Will, who shyly accepted.

"So…when are you planning to go back to Salem?" Sonny maneuvered through the tall yellow grasses as they took a shortcut to reach the banyan. "By the end of spring break…that's when the final semester begins" Will walked a foot behind Sonny. "That's a very short direct answer from you…" Sonny giggled. "Then, what did you expect? The entire story of how Harry met Sally?" "Will, are you still upset with what I said that day?" Sonny turned back to look at Will. "No. It's just that sometimes I keep it short and sweet. Also, I don't want you to have torn eardrums…for you will be gone next week, am I right?" Will squinted when the sunrays hit him. "Funny! Yes…Chad and I will be flying to Bangkok" Sonny turned forward.

"Where the hell have they gone? Abi doesn't have her cell with her…" Will looked at his watch, while Sonny sat on the swing that Will had kept tied to a trunk of the banyan. "I will find out now" Sonny texted Chad to know where he was with Abigail. Chad quickly replied. "They are on their way here…Chad is a nice guy. He has great respect for women" Sonny said, slowly swinging to and fro. "Oh, I'm not judging him, FYI" Will raised his eyebrow. "I'm just saying" Sonny said swiftly.

"Chad said that you guys are planning to open a coffee house in Bradford…" Will leaned against the opposite trunk. Sonny halted his movement and looked at Will. "Yeah. Chad and I worked part-time for 2 years at a big coffee house near the university. That way, we sort of learned the ins and outs…Haven't decided on the location, though we have shortlisted a few that don't boast a good one" "Well, that's sound like a smart plan…Salem, too, lacks a nice one, although my grandma's pub is the most happening thing…" Will gave a lazy yet intelligent smile. Sonny was dumbstruck and was a little ashamed that he didn't think about his hometown at all.

"I spoke to my mom last evening. I mentioned about you and Father Eric. She knows your family quite well…" Sonny said, doing monkey stunts trying to climb up a hairy branch of the tree, but he skid down. "Then, how much she knows?" Will laughed at Sonny's failed attempt. "Well, that you are the son of Lucas Horton and Samantha Brady... One of your grandmas is a well-known psychiatrist and the other one is a great business woman in the cosmetic world…and, my mom had seen you a few times at the pub that your family owns" "Yeah, Mrs Kiriakis always leaves a big tip. I'm sure I might have looked ridiculous to her…" Will giggled. "She didn't say that, for sure! What she said was you made heads turn…with your stunning looks" Sonny grinned, now hanging onto a horizontal trunk and working his arms out. Will couldn't help but blush.

"Sonny?" Will was sitting down and playing with the dry leaves and stalk. "Yes, Will?" "mmm…nothing" Sonny stopped his workout and went closer to the blond. "Will, what is that? You can ask or tell me anything without bothering about how I will take it…if you consider me as a friend…I promise I won't say anything hurtful" Sonny gave a gentle smile and sat in front of Will. "Ok… I…I'm curious to know about your dream guy" Will smiled nervously, as he powdered a dry leaf. "Um…there isn't any 'dream guy'…sorry to disappoint you…but if you want to know my preference, then I have to admit I do have a thing for blue eyes…like deep ocean blue eyes" Sonny immediately diverted his gaze and looked at the people approaching them.

"Guys, where have you been?" Will asked looking at Abi, especially her soiled dress. Chad's white t-shirt had some mud stain too. "Oh we just talked and walked…like almost to the village entrance and then we spotted a potter's house…" "Ok ok…I can see that…you guys tried your hands at that and now you have mastered it, right?" Will mocked at Abi. "Oh yeah, Abigail is a quick learner!" Chad's face beamed. "Oh stop it, Chad" Abi said shyly. "That's great, Abigail!" Sonny encouragingly smiled at Abigail, and turned to give a secret, subtle 'what-the-fuck' look at Chad, who smiled his trademark twisted smile. In the meantime, Will stared at Sonny replaying his 'blue eyes' comment in his mind…_**deep ocean blue eyes… where have I heard that before?**_

(to be continued...)


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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Chad and Abigail were going on and on about their newly learned skill, pottery. Sonny and Will were quite surprised at how the two unlikely pair became friends superfast. "Is it just me or none of you feeling hungry right now? Because, soon I might turn into a cannibal" Will rubbed his stomach, glancing at all the three. "Ok. I'm out of the way, then" Chad threw his hands up. Abi politely invited Sonny and Chad for lunch at their cottage, but Sonny thanked her and said that their Rita aunty would be expecting them this time around. "But, Will had already invited us for dinner this Sunday" Chad smiled at Abi, who couldn't hide her excitement and welcomed them. Sonny felt quite awkward that he wanted to kick Chad's ass. "This evening at 4 we are gonna play cricket with some of the guys at the school playground. Hope you know it's similar to baseball. You are welcome to join the team" Sonny said looking at Will. "Oh I love to but there is this health camp that's gonna be held in a few days. So, Father Eric has convened a meeting with all the volunteers this evening and don't know what else is coming up… if time permits I will hang around for some time, watch you guys play" Will smiled apologetically. He badly wanted to be around Sonny and spend as much time with him as possible, considering the short time left.

"Abi, why did you do that?" Will was lying in the bed with his legs touching the floor. Abi was sitting closer on a rocking chair, reading a novel. "What do you mean?" Abi closed the book and turned to look at Will. "You whisked Chad away so that I could be alone with Sonny, right?" "Yeah, that was my plan…As if you didn't want to" Abi hit Will's leg. "Chad seems to be a nice guy…he is funny, he patiently listened to my jabbering…his childish nature completely contrasts his outward look!" Abi's eyes twinkled. "Oh Abi, don't tell me we both are sailing in the same boat" Will sighed. "I just said I like him…not falling for him" Abi raised her eyebrows. "Good…here I am…desperately caught in the whirlwind called Sonny Kiriakis. Oh I forgot to tell you…we almost had a 'moment' today...There was a great chance for a… um, kiss…I could see the desperation and temptation on his face. Unfortunately, we were inside that temple. Even though I wanted to take the risk, Mr Nice Guy spoiled it…" "I feel sad for you, Will. It's been over a year since you dated anyone... Sonny, indeed, is a nice guy…not someone like that jerk, Tyler…trying to jump your bones. Today, I could see the amazing chemistry between you and Sonny…But, sweety…" Abi looked sadly at Will as though he was a poor puppy. "It's ok, Abi. Let's just drop this topic" Will covered his face with a pillow, and Abi went back to reading.

The moment Abi and Will left, Chad had been talking nonstop, 'Abi this, Abi that', such that Sonny's ears almost bled. Chad even updated the bride, Priya, about his meeting with the blonde beauty. "Sonny, first it was you…and now, Chad? This is effing unbelievable! Can't wait to meet her though" Priya's eyes widened. After a sumptuous meal, Chad and Sonny played a game of chess. "Checkmate!" Chad declared. The usually alert think-tank, Mr Kiriakis, had faltered with his moves. "Whatever" Sonny resigned and walked toward the wide open window to his room. As Sonny kept staring at the canopy glistening in the afternoon sun, Chad joined him and slowly placed his hand on Sonny's shoulder. Both turned toward each other and exchanged a lazy smile… thinking about the respective person that attracted their attention at the exact spot. The difference is that Sonny's smile contained a streak of sadness while Chad's the excitement to see Abigail again.

It was almost 5.15 when the meeting got over. Will wondered whether Sonny and others would still be playing the game. Abigail was busy chatting with some of the women workers. For a second, he thought of texting Sonny, but he changed his mind and started riding toward the field, which was not too far from the basilica. As Will reached the play area, he saw a big crowd of people, probably the entire village men, watching the game, some whistling because the batsman had just hit a sky-high six. Needless to say, it was so easy for him to spot the only two white men. Having done a little research on cricket on the internet that afternoon, Will saw Sonny spin-bowling an over and yielding no runs, which meant he played very well, while Chad played for the opponent since he was not in the fielding area but was sitting on a chair at the boundary. With that spell, the game ended. It seemed Sonny's team lost, and Chad was giving hi-five to his team mates. Sonny's face beamed when he saw Will approaching him. Will hugged him. The chillness of the sweat and musky smell on Sonny's body sent Will into a dizzy state. Since Will was wearing a short shirt, Sonny's fingers could feel his smooth bare skin around the waist. Will slightly jerked and pulled away. "Hey, you should be congratulating me!" Chad playfully yelled at Will.

The local boys laughed heartily as Chad mimicked something that Priya's cousin uttered in their native language. Sonny and Will each grabbed a bottle of cola sponsored by the headmaster of the village school. Sonny learned that the same person, Krishna, was Will's yoga teacher. After having a brief conversation with the old gentleman, the two walked toward a silent corner. "He is quite fluent in English!" Sonny referred to Krishna. "Yeah, he holds a PhD in Postcolonial Literature. He has a great vision and is working hard toward raising the living standards of his people here and in the surrounding villages, mainly through education" Will enlightened him. Sonny felt great regards for that man. "So…tomorrow you will be joining the yoga session, right?" Sonny took a sip of the drink. "Yes, at 7.30…sorry the meeting dragged on" "Ah, never mind. It's just a fun game. Anyway, that's important for you…so you guys all set for organizing the camp?" "Yeah, Saturday morning…" After a few minutes of talk about the upcoming camp and an update on the wedding thing, Will licked his lips and pressed Sonny's palm "Sonny, I want you, only you, to meet me tomorrow morning around 8.30 near the banyan …it's something important…to me" "Ok…But will I get a hint, as of now?" Sonny pursed his lips, as he was quite taken aback. "All I can say is, either you will get pissed off or…ok, I really have no idea as to what you will do otherwise. So, see you tomorrow." Will was gone in a flash. Sonny nervously bit his lower lip, not that he had no clue about what Will's gonna say but how he would handle it.

(to be continued...)


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! As of now, this is how it is for Will and Sonny. It is definitely going to be a happy ending, ultimately. Otherwise, I won't be writing this fic.**

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Sonny spent another restless and anxious night, thanks to the gorgeous blonde staying a mile away. His heart couldn't deny the fact that Will had captured it. But his mind was fighting a war to push Will away, fearing the uncertainty that lay ahead, even though it was evident that Will had feelings for him. Sonny had met several good-looking, good-natured guys in the past. But none could match the charm, the innocence, especially the inner beauty of Will Horton. None had the effect that Will had on him. The past three days spent with Will seemed like three years. Sonny thought of Will as a precious gem. For once, Sonny stopped being selfish and finally listened to his heart. Regardless of what Will had to say the next morning, Sonny did not want Will to be hurt by any means. Whatever Will wished or decided, he would go along with it.

While having breakfast, Sonny informed Chad about his exclusive meeting with Will, but didn't give any detail away. Chad nodded and surprised Sonny that he would be accompanying Abigail and some of the missionary workers on their visit to a nearby village.

Sonny reached the banyan 15 minutes earlier. He walked toward the meadow where a group of people were meditating. Sonny spotted Will, in black-gray tracksuit, doing _padmasana_. To Sonny, it was a breathtaking sight. In the serene environment of greenery filled with the sweet sounds of the cuckoo birds, Will couldn't have looked more beautiful … his neatly cropped short blonde hair, his pretty eyes closed, his cheeks wearing a nice shade of pink probably due the caress of the chill breeze, his supple lips lightly pressed together, his soft bare feet…

Having a felt a little awkward staring, Sonny walked away and waited for Will at the circular cemented platform at the foot of the giant tree. Seeing Sonny's text, Will reached the spot holding a water bottle and a towel. "You make this frigging yoga seem effortless!" Sonny grinned widely. "Oh it's just the way of life, simply put. No great efforts needed" Will shrugged and sat next to Sonny. "Oh thanks! It's been a while since I had these" Will smiled and accepted the croissants and a carton of protein shake that Sonny had brought. "Don't be surprised, half the crowd in that house reside in the UK" Sonny said. "Oh yeah, right now I can't think of a place where there is not a single Indian" Will giggled. "Looks like Abigail is on a mission?" Sonny looked at Will's profile. "Yeah, today she is going to visit a women's organization…she said Chad is going with her too" Will gave a sly smile. "Oh yes, he told me this morning…so what's happening?" Sonny stared deep into Will's eyes.

Will and Sonny walked a little deep into the canopy. Will nervously rubbed his face, as Sonny leaned against a trunk and looked at him curiously. Will took a deep breath and said "Ok. Sonny, when your mom talked about me over phone recently, did she mention anything more about my parents?" Will said softly. "No. What I told you was exactly what she said…because she had so many other things to tell me that day…" Sonny smiled sheepishly. "Fair enough... Sonny, my parents divorced when I was 14, because my mom fell in love with a cop, Rafe Hernandez, whom she married a year later. Now they have three little children, who are very attached to me, and I love them dearly. Also, Rafe is nice guy, and he treats me the same way he treats his own children. A year and a half ago, Rafe's sister Gabriella married her boyfriend and a cousin of mine, Nick Fallon. And, during the wedding reception, there was this huge explosion. A later investigation revealed that Nick's ex-lover was behind that attack. And…among the casualties were… the newly-wed couple and Abigail's father…" Will broke down. "I'm sorry Will" tears started welling in Sonny's eyes and he hugged Will tightly.

Will regained composure and wiped his tears. "Rafe suffered severe head injury and was in coma for many months. Seeing my mom completely devastated and my baby siblings hopelessly crying every time they visited him at the hospital was a torture to me. I wished I had died in that accident" Will looked at the sky. "Please, Will. Don't say that" Sonny squeezed Will's palm. "But, Rafe is a real fighter. He slowly recovered and now he is fit and fine and back to his loving family and to the job that he's passionate about" Will gently smiled, which made Sonny smile.

"That one horrific incident made me realize a lot of things about life…most of us set a standard of our own living…we keep thinking big… competing with others… making great plans for our bright future without knowing what's in store for us in the long run… and all the time is lost in that we tend to forget to acknowledge the little things… we forget to show our gratitude to people who care about us and make us happy…"

Will got closer to Sonny and held his hand. "Sonny, let's be honest with each other. I know you like me…more than as a friend, right?" "Yes, Will" Sonny said softly without diverting his gaze away from Will. "Sonny, I like you so much…it's not just that you are incredibly handsome but you are kind and sweet and compassionate…I have never felt like this about anyone before…I know we both met under the most unlikely circumstances and your stay here is not gonna last even a week…Sonny, both our lives are different…mine is in Salem, and you and Chad have worked hard to open your dream coffee house in the faraway place that you fell in love…Chad himself told me. But, Sonny, deep down, I think I will never ever meet someone like you, again."

Will gently cupped Sonny's face and said "Sonny, I know a part of you wishes this…you words can fool me but not your eyes… Until you leave, I want to spend more time with you…I want to share a lot of things with you…even physically…I want to cherish every moment spent with you for the rest of my life" As a tear dropped from his eyes, Sonny opened his mouth to say how he felt about Will, but Will placed his finger on Sonny's lips and said "You don't have to say anything Sonny…because I know…" With that, Will closed the little space between them by planting a soft kiss on Sonny's lips. Sonny let out an audible breath and tightened his hold on Will's waist as his slightly parted lips grazed over Will's. Will took a step forward and deepened the kiss. Soon Sonny gained dominance and let out his ache and desperation through the kiss, which made Will moan.

"I'm sorry, Will. I got carried away…I like you so much…" Sonny whispered as their foreheads touched. "I know, Sonny. Please don't feel bad. Nothing is wrong. There is nothing to regret. We both want this…let's savor this beautiful moment" Will ran his fingers through Sonny's dark hair. "And…I want to kiss you again, Sonny" Will gave Sonny a sweet French kiss.

(to be continued...)


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! msarahv, I stole the last line from your previous review. Apologies and thanks:)**

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Will and Sonny gracefully pulled away from their fourth kiss. "Oh god, we have been kissing for some time… I hope nobody spotted us" Will grinned looking around as far as he could to see if there was any human figure. "Will, we are not kissing in public. This is a well-hidden place. So what if somebody did notice us in a creepy way? Remember, we are foreigners and some of their stupid rules and regulations don't apply to us legally" Sonny brushed Will's hair. "I know, Sonny, but I'm a guest of Uncle Eric. I don't want him to get embarrassed when someone publicizes our kiss…And, what about you, mister? I bet other than your UK chummies none in that wedding house knows you are gay" Will said. "Oh Will…" Sonny sighed and pulled him out of that place.

When the two reached the main entrance to the banyan tree, they saw a middle-aged woman, clad in a crisp cotton saree and a matching blouse and wearing minimum jewelry, sitting with legs folded on the raised platform beneath the banyan. There were a few old wise men in traditional white attire sitting in the same way on either side of her. There was a small crowd around, and the lady seemed to be authoritatively talking to the people standing in front of her with folded hands on the opposite sides. Sonny looked at Will with a puzzled expression. "That lady is the village head, and she is the sister of the headmaster, Krishna. In some of the villages in India, the village head presides over any case of dispute or criminal offence typically under a banyan tree. People have great respect for them and go by their judgment. Sometimes, they have more power than the police and the regional politicians. Looks like today there seems be some issue with the villagers…" Will said. Sonny was in awe of how informative Will was.

"Uncle Eric has gone to attend a congregation held in the neighboring state. He will be back tomorrow afternoon. Also, Abi would have left with her group by now…" Will smiled suggestively at Sonny, wanting to spend some quality time with him at the cottage. "Ok…Can't wait!" Sonny licked his lips and nervously smiled. "Oh…I just have my bicycle. It's too much for you to walk a mile in this hot sun" Will gave a concerned look. "Tropical climate, aye…I will back soon" Sonny started running toward the house. He returned in a scooter in no time. "Wow, whom did you steal it from?" Will sat on his bicycle. "This belongs to Priya's cousin. Anyway, no traffic rules here" Sonny started the vehicle.

Will opened the big iron gate to the two-centuries-old modest Portuguese cottage: the front view was beautiful with a nice garden; the exterior was painted in mustard yellow and cobalt blue; dense climbers covered the triangular orange brick roof; the intricately carved huge wooden door was flanked by columns on either side; hemispherical stained glass windows with stucco moldings adorned the walls; tall coconut trees were seen in the background. There were a few similar but small houses on both sides of the street. A basilica built in neo-Gothic style stood at the end of the street. Sonny was reminded of some rural place in Europe, and he was amazed by the diversity in this village. "Nice job, Will!" Sonny patted on Will's shoulder when the blond shyly pointed at the white fence running along the house newly painted by him.

Will took Sonny to the big veranda lighted by a huge chandelier. He introduced Sonny to the Anglo-Indian caretaker, Gomes, who greeted his guest and immediately went into the kitchen and returned with a tray full of snacks and cold drinks. Sonny relaxed on the boat-shaped wooden couch as Will enlightened him about the history of that cottage. Will took Sonny on a quick tour around the house and the backyard.

"Jeez, looks like my waist circumference has increased by an inch in these past few days…it shows how well I am fed in that house" Sonny said looking at his profile at the big antique mirror in Will's bedroom. "Sonny, don't bother. Nothing's wrong about enjoying yourself for a while. Also, I HATE that completely brazen group of people who talk about others' weight issues in a nasty and hurtful way." By the way, look how fabulous you are!" Will said standing behind Sonny. "Oh my cute well-wisher!" Sonny lovingly looked at Will's mirror image and turned toward him and pecked his lips.

Will locked his bedroom door and slowly walked toward Sonny, who was anxiously sitting at the edge of the bed. As Will sat facing him, Sonny ran his thumb across Will's cheek and kissed it. Will's mouth captured Sonny's, and he gently pushed Sonny on the bed and fell on top of him. He caressed Sonny's eyebrows and lashes and started peppering kisses all over his face. Though the AC was running, Sonny still felt hot. "Can we… just… get rid… of our…t-shirts?" Sonny said between kisses. While Sonny kept his pants on, Will was generous enough to remove everything except his boxers. With their bare upper torsos touching and their mouths united in a passionate kiss, Will ran his hand over Sonny's muscular upper body. Then, his lips replaced his hand. Low moans escaped Sonny's mouth by the softness and wetness of Will's luscious lips on his smooth olive skin. Now the roles got reversed, as Sonny got on top of Will. But, Sonny took his own time in worshipping each and every feature of the gorgeous person lying beneath him. Will gently pushed Sonny aside and got up from the bed and shed his underwear. Sonny's remaining clothing was next. Both admired each other's nakedness for a while, speechless. Sonny kissed Will's feet and the entire length of Will's fine legs. Will squirmed and whimpered as Sonny's mouth and tongue did magic to his crotch. Sonny couldn't fight Will's urge, so he allowed Will to do the same kind of magic to him. When the pleasure was too much to bear, Sonny pulled Will on top of him and attacked his mouth. Their throbbing erections rubbed together, hard. Their kissing became wild. As they came, each one's mouth consumed the other's moans. Breathing erratically, both lay on their sides, brown eyes locked to blue ones.

When Sonny went into the bathroom for a quick shower, Will immediately removed the stained bed covers and put them into the washing machine, because it would be embarrassing if Abigail barged in and rolled over the bed, which she usually did during their gossip time. "mmm…I like this cologne" Sonny nuzzled Will's neck as Will helped him button his shirt. "My dad got me this from his business trip to Italy…hey stop it…it's ticklish…also no time for round two" Will giggled. Sonny pulled away and straightened Will's shirt. "How I wish we two could spend this entire day alone…Chad just texted me that he is arriving for lunch and there is a ceremony to be held this evening at the wedding house…" Sonny sighed as he caressed Will's ears. "Yeah…our bad…but, what about tonight? Maybe you can come here after Abi retires to her room…nobody will know…even Gomes goes back to his house at 7" Will wiggled his eyebrows. Sonny laughed and affectionately pinched Will's nose "That's sounds like a great idea…let me see if I can sneak out without Chad and others knowing." "No seeing, you are going to. Ok?" Will insisted.

As Will walked Sonny to the main gate, he held his hand and whispered shyly "Sonny…um…I don't have… the supplies…you know what I mean." Sonny fluttered his eyelashes, clearly understanding what Will meant. He smiled his 'don't worry, I will take care of it' smile and softly squeezed Will's palm. Will stepped onto the lower rail of the gate and clung to it, looking at Sonny leave and daydreaming about the night ahead.

(to be continued...)


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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"Hey Sonny, today your face is shining. You look more handsome! What is the secret?" Rita aunty grinned as she served food. Sonny almost choked out of shock. "Well…I guess it is the goodness of the delicious almond saffron milkshake that I have been having here daily" Sonny gently smiled. _**Am I really basking in the afterglow? God, I miss Will so much already… **__"_Chad, Abigail will be coming here in the evening, right?" Rita asked. "Yes, aunty" Chad said shyly. "Good! We will send our driver, Solomon, to bring her" Rita said. Sonny gave a surprised look. "This morning, Abi met aunty and others before we left" Chad sheepishly smiled at Sonny.

"Aww… How do you get this? I'm jealous…" Abi affectionately pinched Will's rosy cheek and sat next to him at the dining table. "I don't know….so, how was your trip?" Will smiled. "Great! It was an eye-opener to me. It was both sad and inspirational. Many of those women have hardly had their basic elementary education…yet, they use their talent and creativity to provide for their poor families…" Abi said. "That's really sad…What was Chad doing there?" "Um…he is a great entertainer…I mean, we all laughed and had a good time…he is so down-to-earth, despite having graduated from one of the top business schools. Today, I saw his emotional side… he was so moved by the stories of those women. One should be very lucky to have a great friend like him" Abi's voice was slightly shaky as she teased her blonde curls. "Wow, that's nice to hear…" Will said, thinking that Sonny also had all those nice qualities. Both remained silent for some time, staring at their plates. "Had a good time with Sonny?" Abi winked. "hmm…yeah. We chatted a bit…and then, he had some work…so he left" Will shrugged playing with the fork. _**Oh Abi, it's just the start of many lies to come out of my mouth. Sonny, why is this happening to us? Can't we both elope from here?**_

All at the wedding house were having a gala time. It was the _Mehndi_ ceremony. Cheerful country music was blaring. Intricate Arabic designs adorned the hands and feet of the women, including Abigail's. Priya's cousins had dressed her up in a beautiful pink-silver saree. Chad was in awe of her beauty that he took countless pictures of her. The men were separately enjoying something like a bachelor party, with all booze and wine. Sonny didn't touch any of those, and though he was all smiles, his mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of whether he would be able to spend that night with Will and how, in the middle of so many hurdles. More than he wanted it so badly, he didn't want to disappoint Will.

"She's very beautiful!" Sonny said, looking at a picture of Abi on Chad's camera. "Oh man…not only that…but also a wonderful person and a good samaritan…" Chad nodded, his eyes glued to that picture. "You seem to like her a lot! What's going on?" Sonny nudged Chad's shoulder. "Nothing. She is a nice girl and all…I'm really glad that I met her…maybe I will keep in touch with her after we leave…oh, how is Will doing? I felt bad that he couldn't be here at the party" Chad put his hand around Sonny's shoulder. "hmm…he's fine. Priya has invited him for the wedding though. He might attend, I guess" Sonny said, looking at his cell. It was 9.30 already. Will had texted him that he and Abi had just started watching some movie in the hall.

Abi noticed that there was something weird about Will that day. He didn't seem to be very interested when she showed him her pictures taken at the wedding house, but his face beamed when he saw a picture of Sonny smiling with his hand draped around Abi's shoulder. Also, Will had showered much early, unusually. Now, he was not into the movie and was anxiously biting his fingernails. A couple of days ago he had shown his excitement to watch that musical with her. "Will, maybe we can watch the next half tomorrow or some other day" Abi said. "Why? You feeling sleepy?" Will asked. He desperately wanted her to say yes. "Ah…no…but I'm feeling a bit tired…after all the dancing at the party" Abi grinned. "Oh…ok. Then, we'll see it whenever you want to" Will switched off the TV and pecked Abi on the cheek and went to his room.

Unexpectedly, Chad and Sonny's mutual friend was video chatting with them. It went on forever. Also, Sonny was aware that the security people would close all the gates around the house by 11. Very less time was left. Thank god it all ended 10 minutes before the deadline, and Chad went to his room. Sonny quickly wore some warm clothes as it was damn cold outside and stuffed something in his pockets before sneaking out of the house. Will was restlessly pacing around his room because Sonny didn't text him for over an hour. He slightly felt guilty thinking he was putting too much pressure on Sonny. In the meantime, Sonny ran as fast as he could in the dimly lit road leading to the cottage. He texted Will the moment he reached the back gate. Will ran downstairs and received him with a full-mouth kiss. Both tiptoed to Will's room and locked the door.

"Sonny, you look tired. I'm sor…" before Will could finish his sentence, Sonny's mouth was on his. Sonny's hands were firmly secured to Will's waist, and he forced his tongue into the blond's mouth. Will moaned grabbing a handful of Sonny's dense hair as Sonny's strong hands started cupping and squeezing his ass. Sonny attacked Will's neck, making the younger man growl. Will momentarily pulled away "Sonny, if you keeping doing this, I'm not going to have the energy for the main course." "oh shut up, baby" Sonny whispered before sucking Will's earlobe. Amidst the pleasure, Will was pleasantly surprised upon hearing the word 'baby.' "WILL! WILL!" Abigail banged the door. "Oh god!" Will and Sonny said in unison. "WILL!" Abigail shouted. "COMING!" Will's voice's was hoarse. "What do we do now?" Sonny said in a faintly audible tone. "Get inside the bathroom. No. Bad idea. uh…get in here" Will quickly opened his big cupboard, pushed Sonny inside, and shut it. "What's up, Abi?" Will annoyingly opened the door. Abi was taken back looking at Will's flushed face. "Will, there's a cockroach flying inside my room" Abi panicked. "Oh shit! Ok, I will get the broom and get rid of it" Will said. "No! What if there's another? I'm going to sleep here" Abi barged in. Sonny became more frustrated hearing that, he was sweating profusely inside the closed constricted space and his lower body was a mess. "What? Abi, it's just a cockroach!" "Don't you know very well that I'm scared of cockroaches? Ughh!" Abi growled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that. Wha-what about the other room near the hallway?" Will said. "Is it clean? Is the AC working?" Abi frowned. "Yeah, Gomes cleans it every day. It's as good as your room" Will said. "But, why can't I sleep in here?" "Oh Abi…ufff…Ok. Men's problem. You get it?" Will unabashedly pointed his finger at his crotch. "Oh…I'm sorry…Will. I…I will take the other room. Good night" Abi left in embarrassment. Will locked the door and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Bravo!" Sonny said as he came out of the closet and sat on the floor, exhausted.

(to be continued...)


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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Will apologetically looked at Sonny and sat in front of him. Sonny stared at him with a serious face, which made Will worry. "Sonny, it's all my fault. My selfishness has put you into this deep shit. Will you...forgive me?" Will's fingers were giving a feathery touch to Sonny's hand. Sonny didn't respond for a few of seconds and then he burst out laughing but he immediately closed his mouth with his hand realizing where he was. Will pouted with a concerned look. "Will, come here" Sonny hugged Will for a brief period and said "First, I love your sad puppy eyes and adorable pout. It will soften even a heart made of rock. So, don't do that often" Sonny raised his eyebrows and smiled. "And, the most important thing, stop feeling sorry for something that's not all your fault… I too wanted this…" Sonny lowered his head shyly. Will now relaxed, and he gently lifted Sonny's chin and pecked his lips "Thanks." "Poor Abigail…I can see how you two are so attached to each other" Sonny said. "Yeah, more than cousins, we are best friends…but sometimes, she nags me like a big sister…that's why I didn't want her to know about us…" Will said. "I get it…but this sneaking out thing is kinda adventurous to me…" Sonny grinned. "mhmm?... Sonny, can we just relax and talk for some time…and then, maybe…" Will said coyly. "Yeah, sounds good. But, right now I need to use the bathroom…my bladder is on the verge of bursting" Sonny chuckled.

Sonny had the chocolate cake and black coffee that Will stealthily got from the kitchen. Both lay down on the bed facing each other. Will was silently stroking Sonny's lustrous hair. "Will, are you trying to put me to sleep?" "No…" "Then, stop petting me and tell me something interesting" Sonny said, resting his palm on Will's head. "hmm…ok. Let me tell you about my friends Neil and Brian…I met Neil at a friend's party…I had just graduated from high school and was still in the closet. That day, we played the 'spin the bottle' game… it ended up with Neil kissing me. I don't know…later that night I came out to my grandma, Marlena, and the next morning, to the rest of the world. Neil is nice and funny…we went on a date a couple of times but soon realized that we lacked that spark…so we decided to be just good friends. Then, I met Brian at The Spot, the gay club. He is a nice guy too. He showed interest in me and cared about me, and we hit it off. He is my first." Will immediately felt bad that this piece of information was inappropriate to tell and he nervously bit his lower lip. But Sonny caressed Will's lips and said "hey relax…don't feel bad about being honest…there is a first in my life as well…go ahead, so far interesting…" Will smiled and continued "But, as the days passed by, I observed that Brian and Neil got closer…I mean, Brian didn't do two-timing nor was I serious about him though I liked him…but he seemed to be very compatible with Neil than he was with me…also, Neil's relationship with his boyfriend Dustin had hit a speed bump. So, one day, I talked to both of them…" "Wait. Don't tell me you played the matchmaker!" Sonny's eyes widened. Will chuckled and said "Yeah. I did. I made them realize they are quite an item…thank god, it was an easy breakup between Neil and Dustin…and Neil is still with Brian…I'm happy for them. They are my well-wishers you know… It was the time the explosion happened…I felt lonely. They saved me from falling for this pervert named Tyler" Will said. "Oh my god…Will, you are so generous and very understanding of people's emotions! It's a rare quality for someone to possess at a very young age…" Sonny marveled. While Will blushed, Sonny felt sadness creeping inside him thinking that he is going to fly thousands of miles away from this wonderful human being in a few days. It was, apparently, Sonny's loss.

"Well…I have been out since I was 14. Two years later, my first kiss and first time happened with my classmate Kieron… Once into high school, I put my love life in the backburner and concentrated on studies and cricket. I was the vice-captain of the under-18 team until tennis elbow took a toll on me and forced me to retire. Then, at 19, I met Dave…Sonny just gave an overview of his time with his ex-boyfriend, as he didn't want to dwell into that sob story but he opened up about his other past casual relationships. "Wow, so many poor hearts yearning for your love…were you that inaccessible and detached? This is quite a revelation! The Sonny Kiriakis that I know is totally a different person. Which one is the true you?" Will rolled his eyes. "Well…the person right here, right now, in front of you is the true me…If you don't believe, call my mom" Sonny said in a sober tone with a gentle smile. "I believe you…" Will said softly, with a mushy and achy heart.

Will was drowning himself in those breathtakingly beautiful brown eyes, forgetting that time was running out until Sonny slowly slipped his hand into his t-shirt. Each touched every inch of the other's exposed skin as they undressed each other. Will straddled Sonny's lap to share a few feverish kisses. The burning desire in them led to a raging fire. Since Will had requested, Sonny prepared himself and Will, with the things that he had brought. Will's body writhed as Sonny's fingers worked inside him. Sonny entered him with so much patience that Will felt no initial pain but pure pleasure for the first time. The very look of Will's lusty eyes and his parted swollen lips drove Sonny crazy, not to mention the overwhelming warmth and sensation surrounding him. With every slow stroke, Will mewled. Then, desperation took over and he encouraged the brunette with a little lick to his chin. Sonny gave his all. Will's feet rubbed the back of Sonny's thighs and his teeth made marks on Sonny's shoulder blade. Sonny attained orgasm with great intensity. Will followed soon. With shuddering breath, Sonny buried his face into the curve of Will's neck, and Will wrapped his hands tightly around Sonny's back. Both remained in the same position for a while, listening to the other's heart beating a mile a minute. Tears formed in Will's blue orbs, which he cleared with a quick brush of his hand.

Will made Sonny lie on his side to make slow, passionate love to him. Sonny later admitted that this was his first time bottoming and thanked Will for his tenderness.

Sonny was in deep sleep, with the vertical half of his body underneath Will, when the alarm beeped. It was 6 in the morning and also, time for the caretaker, Gomes' arrival. As Sonny sat on the bed, buttoning is shirt, Will helped him wear his socks and shoes. Sonny placed a wet kiss on Will's mouth and escaped through the back gate.

Will fell on the bed, resting his head on the pillow that Sonny used. His hand caressed the impressions that Sonny's body left on the bed. Sonny could have walked, but he chose to run, faster. His cell vibrated. It was a simple 'thank you for everything' message from Will. But to Sonny, it meant a lot. He blinked his tears away and rubbed his nose. Once he reached the house, he headed straight to the bathroom. He shed his clothes, got under the hot shower, pulled his knees to his chest, and closed his eyes.

(to be continued...)


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! The happy ending to this story is just a couple of chapters away. I am immensely thankful to all the reviewers! All your kind words and support and encouragement have led to the progress of this story thus far. Though Will and Sonny do not meet in this chapter, it's a crucial one as far as their relationship is considered.**

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With his knees pulled to this chest and his eyes closed, Sonny remained static under the hot shower for some time. The water was heating up, and only when he felt a burning sensation on his skin, did he stand up and close the shower knob. He moved a little and stood in front of the mirror. As his fingers slowly traced the bruises and nail marks around the shoulder area, Sonny could still feel the vibrations from Will's body clutched to him. That night, without his subconscious mind knowing, Sonny had surrendered himself completely to Will. It was something that never happened in the past…not even with Dave. Sonny's dominant personality was turned powerless by Will's simple presence… such that he went to the extent of questioning whether he would be able to function normally without seeing that child-like eyes and heart-melting smile and without hearing that mellifluous voice even for a single day. All these things led him to the realization of one thing: he had fallen hard for Will.

Will cleaned his room, washed the bed and pillow covers, and took a shower. Abigail was sitting in the hall operating her cell phone and sipping her morning cuppa simultaneously. "Did you sleep well?" Will asked as he sat next to her. "Yes… Will, what happened? Your face and eyes look puffy…" Abi looked at Will worriedly. "Ahh...I guess some kinda allergy…but I'm good" Will smiled but his voice was coarse. Abi stared at Will for a while, unable to believe him. "Ok…instead of coffee, you should have ginger honey tea. It will help" Abi quickly moved into the kitchen. Will sighed and rubbed his face and neck. It was the effect of all the crying after Sonny had left.

Chad was sitting at the coffee table and watching with adoration a slideshow of the beautiful pictures of Abigail that he had taken with his smartphone the previous day. "Beautiful memories…" Chad murmured to himself. "Morning!" Sonny said as he took the seat opposite to his friend. "Hey, buddy! You won't believe, that jerk, Toby wasn't done with chatting with us over an hour last night. That drunken monk woke me up at midnight and went on and on about his dirty adventures in Pattaya! How are we gonna deal with that twerp in Bangkok!?" Chad rolled his eyes. "Oh man" Sonny sighed. Chad looked at Sonny's reddened eyes and said "So, where you on full drinking mode last night?" "No…couldn't sleep" Sonny said playing with the handle of the coffee mug. "Is everything ok, buddy?" Chad ran his tongue over his lower lip. Sonny's gaze shifted from the mug handle to Chad and he smiled broadly and waved his hand "Hey, I'm fine" But Chad was not buying it a bit; however, something was telling him that it had to do with Will. "Um, Abigail and Will are quite busy today, I guess…" Chad said. "Yeah, Will told me that they are volunteering for a health camp" Sonny nodded. When Chad asked him to join for a game of cricket with some of the guys that morning, Sonny told him that he might dose off in the middle of the pitch, for he was sleep-deprived.

Will was checking mails on his computer when Abi entered his room. "Hey Will, um, I think I had left my purse here last evening" Abi's eyes roamed all over the dressing table next to the bed. "Oh here it is!" Abi took her purse that was lying at the foot of the bed. But along with it, she took something else also. "Will" Abi called out. The moment Will turned toward her, he became shocked to see Abi holding a torn condom wrapper. "I…ah…um" words were not coming out of Will's mouth. "Will, if Gomes sees this while cleaning the room this afternoon, what would he think? Either you had brought some local girl in here… for he doesn't know you are gay… or, even worse, you and I…oh my god!" Abi brushed her hair in tension. "I'm sorry, Abi. I should have been careful…" Will said softly nodding his head apologetically. "Ok…thank your lucky stars that we, including Uncle Eric, have been saved from great shame and embarrassment" Abi said after flushing the wrapper down the toilet. "I'm so sorry" Will kept his gaze down. Abi sat on the bed and sighed. After a moment of silence, Abi said "It's Sonny, right?" looking at the floor. "Yes…" Will swallowed. Abi realized that it would have happened after she and Chad had gone to visit the neighboring village the previous day. Abi raised an eyebrow "So…he coaxed you into this friends-with-benefits thing, huh?" Will raged with anger by Abi's comment but he controlled it by clenching his teeth and fist. "Abi, Sonny is a great guy. He is a true gentleman. Please don't judge him wrongly without knowing the truth" Will said softly. "Oh…I'm sorry" Abi fluttered her eyelashes. Will disclosed everything to Abi and requested her not to share it with Chad, for he didn't want Sonny to feel bad.

"Sonny has no idea…he will never know…that I have fallen in love with him. Isn't it funny, Abi?" Will giggled, tears pooled his eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetie" Abi hugged her dear cousin, feeling helpless about this situation. Gomes knocked on the door and informed them that the car was waiting down to pick them up.

Sonny was wandering aimlessly around the meadow when he saw a lady approaching him. It was the village head, whom he had seen the previous day. "Hello, I am Durga" the woman greeted him with a _namaste_ and Sonny acknowledged her the same way. Sonny became curious when the lady informed him that she wanted to discuss something important and confidential related to him and Will in her office. "I haven't met William but I have heard about him through my brother, Krishna… that he is a very polite, nice young man" Durga gently smiled, taking her seat. Sonny said that he had once met her philanthropist brother. "Ok…Until I saw you, I thought I would keep this to myself but it wouldn't be fair on my part…" the lady said. Sonny was shocked to hear that the girl, Stella, who once stalked Will, had recorded him and Will kissing in the middle of the canopy on her phone camera. As Sonny seemed quite embarrassed as well as angry, Durga made him at ease "I understand that you both had tried to keep it private but somehow Stella had followed you and did this wrongful act. I confiscated her phone and have warned her not to trouble you and William further" The lady unlocked her cupboard and took out the phone and asked Sonny to erase that video. Sonny also found a few pictures of Will on Stella's phone. Durga now understood the girl's motive. "Ma'am, thank you so much for understanding" Sonny gently smiled. "Actually, Sonny, I am very glad that I met someone I can relate to" Durga said. Sonny was quite surprised. Durga gave a short description of her sad and unfortunate story and thanked Sonny when he gave her his number and email id to keep in touch. Sonny expressed his sadness that this country has a long way to go. "Sonny, when Stella showed me that video, I felt happy about the love that you and William have for each other…I wish you and William a very happy and fruitful life together, my son!" Durga stood up and placed her hand on Sonny's head as a sign of blessing, rendering him completely speechless.

As he walked in the open air, Sonny replayed that one particular statement by Durga in his mind, several times. _**Sonny, it is a very hard and sad feeling that you live nearby the person you are so fond of…but still you cannot reach that person and profess your true feelings**_**… **_**You may be surrounded by a lot of affectionate people, but still you feel lost when that one person is not beside you…**__**Sometimes, **__**this whole life seems meaningless… **_"Thanks, Durga" Sonny murmured to himself sitting at the foot of the temple, having made a decision.

(to be continued...)


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **

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"Hey, how was the game?" Sonny asked entering Chad's room. "My team won again!" Chad said in a sing-song voice. "Great! What you're doing? Origami, after a long time?" Sonny said. "Yeah. I was wondering what to get when we go to Abigail's place. Just found some leftover color papers and glitter ribbons here. So, thought of making some hanging cranes...What an awkward gift!" Chad chuckled. "Hey, come on, it's nice! She will definitely appreciate it! I'm such an ass. I completely forgot about the gift" Sonny said. Sonny licked his lips and ran his fingers through his hair. "mm…Chad, I need to talk to you about something after dinner…" Sonny said somewhat hesitantly. "Sure!" Chad was curious.

Abigail waved goodbye to some of the volunteers and turned to see Will stacking the plastic chairs. "Need a hand?" "No, thank you. I'm glad that it all went well" Will said. "Yeah, Uncle Eric is quite happy. I hope camp like this is conducted throughout the country. What a pity that the government is unable to provide the basic health screening for all these poor people" Abi sighed. "I know…" Will sighed too. Both sat under the shade of a neem tree. "Chad is interesting and funny and a good company to keep…He's someone who could make you forget all your sorrows…In fact, there was never a day that passed without thinking about dad…but the past two days I didn't think of him for a second. Is that bad?" Abi placed her palm on her cheek and looked at Will. Will gently smiled and nodded "No, not at all." "So, tomorrow morning, Sonny and Chad are attending the church. I'm still thinking about what to cook for dinner. I heard that Chad likes beef steak but it's forbidden here…" Abi said. "Maybe you can make something with lamb and chicken…Sonny likes lemon chicken" Will was randomly drawing on the mud floor with a leaf stem. Abi sadly stared at Will.

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The next morning, Will was meddling with his spoon without touching his breakfast. "Will, you don't like it?" Abi asked. "What? No. I love these pancakes…I was just thinking about this bad dream I had early this morning…" Will said. "Oh…you can tell me…that way you'll feel better" Abi was quite concerned. Will gave a faraway look and then, he began…

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_**Will's Dream**_

I am looking shabby and messy with unruly hair, long beard, in soiled clothes. I am drowning myself in alcohol, like a pathetic loser… And then, Sami, my mom, storms into my room. "Will! Will! What am I hearing?" Sami throws her hands up. I lazily smirk at her and utter with a hiccup "Wh-what mom? That the world is gonna end tonight? I'm so happy" I finish the half-filled glass in one gulp. "You idiot!" Sami slaps my hand, shattering the empty glass. "You are, here, killing yourself…and there he is, Sonny Kiriakis, happily getting married to some guy! If only you had confessed your true feelings to him…" Sami sobs. "What? My Sonny is here in Salem! Mom, please take me to him…please mom!" I stagger and fall at my mom's feet. "Oh my baby, I'm sorry… but I can't take you now…" Sami hugs me. "Please don't say that mom! I need to see Sonny…I need to see my love, once. I promise I won't create any trouble" I cry. My mom takes me to the venue. By that time, the wedding is over…and Sonny happily steps out, holding his partner's hand, amidst loud cheers. "NO!" Like that glass, my heart shatters into million pieces. I forcefully pull my hand away from my mom's hold and start running back. "Will, wait!" Sami yells. With tear flowing like waterfalls, I run like a mad man…stumbling on people…I run so fast that don't even look at the speeding bus coming my way…"

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"Oh God, Will!" Abi buried her face in her palms. "Abi, I'm sorry" Will rubbed her shoulder. "But Will…" Abi wiped her tears. "Don't worry, Abi. It won't happen like that. I'm going to talk to Sonny tonight after dinner" Will placed his hand on Abi's and told her about his decision. "Just let Sonny know how you feel" Abi said. "I will. Even if it doesn't work…I will be fine. I promise" Will nodded. "I'm sure it will work out" Abi squeezed Will's palm.

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The Sunday mass had begun. Will and Abigail were sitting in the front row and every now and then, Will turned back to see if Sonny was present. Both Chad and Sonny entered the church a little late and sat in the back row as it was quite crowded. After the prayers, with the help of a translator, Father Eric was busy conversing with the attendees and blessing them. Will dreamily looked at Sonny approaching him. "Hey!" Sonny let out a loud breath and smiled a 1000-watt smile. According to Will, it was the brightest smile ever on Sonny's face. Will was a little puzzled as well as worried, because until the previous day morning, after they made love, Sonny seemed quite sad. Maybe Sonny had prepared himself well for the departure…Will thought but he just brushed it off for the moment and gently smiled at his dream guy. "All went well at the camp?" Sonny asked. "Yeah. It was great!" Will said staring straight into Sonny's eyes as though searching for something. "So, all packed to fly to Bangkok after the wedding tomorrow?" Will swallowed a bit. "Ahh…" before Sonny could answer, Father Eric greeted him. Chad and Abi were lost in their own world, chatting at a corner of the chapel such that Will had to pull them to join in the conversation with the priest. "It's an urgent meeting. I'm extremely sorry that I couldn't spend time with you guys. Thank you so much for joining Will and Abigail for dinner at my place. Please enjoy, everybody!" Father Eric smiled and left with some officials. As Will was thinking to spend some alone time with Sonny, maybe wandering around the fields, Chad told him and Abi that he and Sonny had to go back to the wedding house to get ready for the 'reception to the groom' ceremony since the bride, Priya, had requested them to accompany the groom like best men, Indian style. "So, see you at dinner!" Sonny once again gave that brightest smile and left with Chad. Though Will forced a smile, he was quite sad. But, there was a little faith in him…he was indeed going to talk to Sonny that night.

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Dinner was ready. The table was neatly set, with a bottle of Chad's favorite vintage wine. Abi and Will had dressed up well. Chad and Sonny arrived in the borrowed car. "Wow!" Abi loved Chad's gift and praised his talent. For the third time, Sonny flashed _that_ smile. Will, once again, made his poker face and smiled. He just wanted to forget dinner and pull Sonny straight into his room to have that important discussion. Abi too was in the same state as Will. Like Sonny, Chad's face beamed like never before. The dinner went smoothly, and all their conversation was about food and the wedding. Abi avoided talking about the guys leaving the next day, for she was afraid that it might spoil Will's agenda, but she was surprised that neither Chad nor Sonny uttered a word about it. As they relaxed on the couch, Will said "Um…Sonny, I need to talk to you…in private." "Actually, I too need to" Sonny said and followed Will to his room.

"What were you gonna say?" Will asked as he closed the door. "I will tell. But you first" Sonny said. "Ok…Sonny, I was thinking… no, actually I have decided something…Since this is gonna be my final semester…there's nothing much to study other than the project…I have already developed several models…they just need to be compiled and executed, which is no big deal. I…I want to come to Bradford after you and Chad return from your Asia tour… There are lot of freelance job offers. So…that way we…we both can be closer to each other" Will rubbed his palms together, as he stood in front of Sonny.

Sonny stared at Will with an expressionless face and firmly nodded his head "No, Will. I don't think it's gonna happen this way." That's it. Like in his recent scary dream, Will was shattered. His thin hope vanished. His legs gave out, and he slid down holding the bed, never shifting his gaze from Sonny.

(to be continued...)


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Happy Ending: Part 1**

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"No, Will. I don't think it's gonna happen this way." Overlapping echos of these words in Sonny's voice were loudly ringing in Will's ears as he shockingly stared at Sonny. On the other hand, though his heart instantly melted realizing Will's unconditional love when he talked about leaving Salem to be with him, Sonny immediately felt that his stupid idea of teasing Will a bit before giving him the good news had indeed taken a toll on Will. "Hey, Will" Sony knelt down before the Will and gently cupped his face. Will's body jerked slightly and he shook his head "oh I'm sorry. I felt a bit dizzy…I'm…I'm fine" Will was about to get up but Sonny's hands firmly landed on his shoulders. Sonny apologetically nodded "Will, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean…" "Sonny…I know" Will smiled weakly. Sonny shook Will's shoulders "No! You don't know. Just listen to me, Will. What I meant was…"

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**Flashback**

**Sonny's POV **

"I'm sorry, Chad" I felt quite bad that I have let my best friend down. He must be thinking that I am selfish, but there was no other way for me. I have made my decision. I love Will with all my heart. I am not leaving him. And, I don't think I can bear the pain of losing him. But, surprisingly, Chad hugged me. "Sonny, you think I can't understand your feelings? I have known you for 5 years. You are my best friend! Your happiness matters to me a lot. Believe or not, I was going to suggest the same tonight!" Chad grinned. "I love you, brother" I became emotional and hugged my caring and affectionate buddy. "Will is a very good person…you guys totally belong together! I'm glad you realized that" "Thanks, Chad!" "You're welcome, my friend! And… don't laugh…I have been wanting to spend more time with Abigail…but I don't know if she really likes me…" Chad said shyly. "Chad, she does… I could see…even Will dropped a hint about it" I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Well, then, it's a good sign! So… let's just forget all our brilliant business plans, for we have all the time in the world, and enjoy this journey with the person we are fond of" Chad assuringly put a hand on my shoulder.

* * *

"Yes, Will. I love you!" Sonny's eyes glistened with tears, and he pecked Will's lips. Having recovered from the shock state, and now, with happy tears flowing, Will let out a whimpering cry and grabbed Sonny into a tight hug. "I love you so much, Sonny! It's so hard for me to even imagine being far away from you…I started getting all these scary dreams of losing you…" Will cried. "Shh…don't worry, baby. I'm not going anywhere…Nothing can separate you from me. And, you know what…we are going to visit all those places that you like to see. After that, we are going to Salem and have a good time. Then, you are going back to college, and I'm going to say yes to the open job offer from my Uncle Victor's company" Sonny wiped Will's face with his handkerchief. "But…the coffee house?" Will pouted. "Chad and I have shelved that plan for some time. We are in no hurry. To me, there is nothing important than you, baby. So, don't worry and be happy. I…I hope you recognize me as your boyfriend" Sonny smiled anxiously. "Yes, Sonny Kiriakis is my boyfriend!" Will grinned widely and pulled his man for a passionate kiss.

Soon, all their clothes flew in random directions. Will felt more lively like never before, as Sonny rocked his inner world. "Oh god! Kiriakis, you are a beast!" Will panted after reaching his heightened pleasure.

Chad and Abigail were excitedly discussing about the places to visit in India, not minding Will and Sonny happily walking toward them, hand in hand. When Sonny took the seat next to him, Chad looked at Sonny's flushed face and disheveled hair and smirked at him "You look triumphant from a power-packed performance." "Hey, you!" Sonny punched Chad's shoulder, while Abi pinched Will's reddened cheek. "You see, Abigail. Sonny is a generous guy. He is willing to bear all our travel expenses" Chad said. "Is it? Thank you so much, Sonny!" Abi smiled. "You're welcome!" Sonny nodded and stamped on Chad's foot, eliciting a funny reaction from the joker himself. Will and Abigail laughed hysterically.

* * *

The next day dawned with the auspicious, traditional music playing in the wedding house. The stage was esthetically decorated with tons of flowers. The bride looked stunning in an intricately woven silk saree, with expensive gold and diamond jewelry adorning her body. The groom in traditional white attire took the bride's hand as his lawfully wedded wife and circled around the sacred fire as the priest uttered the _Vedic_ chants. Relatives and friends blessed the just-wed by showering them with puffed rice grains and marigold petals.

Sonny introduced Will to Durga, the village head, and enlightened him about the video thing. Will was shocked but at the same time, he expressed his gratitude to the lady.

Sonny held Will's hand and walked toward the banyan tree. Chad and Abigail were a few feet behind them. "I'm not much into the philosophy of life. But I do agree with the thing that _you never know when and how life throws surprises at you_. I'm glad that I got the pleasant surprise of my life, here, under this banyan tree…And, that's you, Will" Sonny adoringly looked at Will. The blond choked with emotion "And, you are mine, Sonny."

"I just can't believe this is happening to me! I mean, two weeks ago, I was reluctant to come to India…and now I'm gonna travel all over this frigging country" Chad said, looking at Will and Sonny. "I wonder how we're gonna put up with this guy if he keeps throwing tantrums…" Abigail sighed looking at her crush.

All the four took pictures under the giant tree. Sonny's most favorite was the one with Will sitting on the swing and holding the ropes and Sonny standing behind him with his hands on Will's. And, his second favorite, a long distance shot of that special tree that brought love and true happiness in his life.

(to be continued...)


	15. Chapter 15

**Guys, thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing this story! This is something close to my heart. Thank you, ****msarahv, your words are a boost to my confidence level!**

**Happy Ending: Part 2**

* * *

Sonny and Chad were sent off with gifts and sweets by the Sharma family. Rita aunty sort of became emotional and said that she saw them as her sons and wished for their well-being.

Solomon dropped the guys at a five-star hotel in the city and received a cricket hat from them as a token of remembrance.

Will and Abigail packed their bags and joined Sonny and Chad the next day. All the four roamed around the city and did some shopping before taking a flight to Delhi.

At their lodging, Will and Sonny happily stayed together while Chad and Abigail took separate rooms. Upon Will's guidance, they escaped from money-grabbing cab drivers and travel agencies. They explored various places mostly by foot and public transport. Will was excited to see all the historic sites he had read about in his history books. They visited the ancient palaces and other artistic structures and museums of significance built during the Persian and British rule in India.

The most memorable moment of this tour, according to Will, was the visit to the Mughal masterpiece and the breathtakingly beautiful white marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal. Will and Sonny exchanged 'I love you's' and took a picture together sitting on the famous bench in front of the monument of love.

After seeing other high-altitude places like Sikkim and visiting the Buddhist monasteries bordering Tibet, the Salemites wound their 15-day travel and returned to their home town. By that time, Abigail and Chad had gotten intimate.

* * *

**Salem (USA)**

All in the Kiriakis family warmly welcomed Will. Will very much liked Adrienne, Sonny's mom. She surprised him by saying "When, I saw you for the first time…you were this shy, polite, nice young employee at the Brady Pub… I wished that Sonny found a partner like you." Sonny's lawyer-dad, Justin, keenly observed Will and subtly nodded at Sonny, showing his approval of Will as his son's boyfriend. Uncle Victor was all praise for his grandnephew and said that Will should consider himself lucky.

Sonny got a similar reception at Will's house. "Wow, Sonny, believe or not, I was so curious to know about you and when I asked Will to send a picture of yours, he refused. I'm glad he surprised me. You are so handsome and smart! And, both of you look so cute together! Look at those tan and pale fingers linked together! Oh I'm going to cry now…" said Will's mom, Sami, the drama queen. Will gave an embarrassing smile, and Sonny kissed the back of Will's palm and whispered "Now I see the origin of your interesting trait." Will was very happy when he saw the instant bonding of his three baby siblings, Allie, Johnny, and Sydney with Sonny. Sonny liked the tough yet kind Rafe, Will's step-dad. But Will's dad, Lucas, seemed a bit reserved and had so many questions for Sonny maybe because of the 'Kiriakis' tag.

Will's friends and the hot couple Neil and Brian welcomed Sonny with a bro hug. As they were having a good time at The Spot, the waiter placed a glass of drink in front of Sonny and pointed at a cute guy with golden hair and green eyes sitting in the opposite corner. The guy gave Sonny sexy eyes and raised his glass. Will burned with jealousy. Sonny just pulled Will by his jacket and gave him a searing kiss, much to the cheers and whistling by their friends and others around.

As decided, Will rejoined college and Sonny took up that job at his uncle's company. Apart from dating Abigail, Chad worked for his brother, EJ.

In the course of time, Will and Sonny found a nice apartment to live together.

One day, as the WilSon and ChAbi couples were having dinner at a restaurant called Cheating Heart, they learned the place was soon to be on the market. Everything worked out well and finally, Sonny and Chad's dream coffee house Common Grounds was born at the same place.

Will graduated with honors and before starting his own computer firm with his college mate, Kareem, he went with Sonny to the UK to meet Sonny's brother Alex and his family. Sonny revisited his days in Bradford by taking Will to his school and university and some of his favorite hangouts. Will met Sonny's other two brothers when they came down from Dubai for Christmas.

Though, then and there, they had small fights and misunderstanding, Will and Sonny's love for each other only became stronger day by day. Soon, they were recognized as the 'it couple' among Salem's younger generation.

With that said, four Christmas's later, Will and Sonny uttered 'I do' to each other in a grand ceremony arranged by both the Hortons and the Kiriakis family and presided over by Will's Uncle, Father Eric. Their wedding vows were simple but so heart-felt, even a strong man like Victor cried like nobody's business. According to great-grandma Caroline, Will and Sonny's kiss was the best of all the wedding kisses she had witnessed in her entire life. As Will threw the flower bouquet, it effortlessly landed straight in the hands of his cousin Abigail, who screamed with happiness standing next to her fiancé Chad.

The design of Will and Sonny's wedding cake was a three-foot tall banyan tree under which two cute guys, a brunette and a blond, stood in a lip-lock. Though it might have seemed weird to some of those who had gathered there, to Will and Sonny it was an embodiment of the strong bond of their infinite love and togetherness.

_And they lived happily ever after_.


End file.
